How to get Avignon from Marseille

Learning how to get between the different cities on the French Mediterranean coast is an excellent idea if you are planning a sightseeing tour of the region. To get from Marseille to Avignon there are a number of different options available to suit a variety of budgets as well as different types of travellers.

Although there are many things to see in Marseille, if you have enough days you may want to visit Avignon. I invite you to continue reading this article to help you plan your travels, allowing you to feel more at ease and choose the option that best suits your needs.

It may sound a little out of touch with reality, but the truth is that the best way to get to Avignon from Marseille, regardless of the time of year or the number of tourists, is a private transfer. This has to do with the fact that it is an experience centred on exclusivity and privacy, as well as the comfort of the travellers and above all the speed of the service.

Such transfers can come in two forms. You may be picked up directly from Marseille International Airport or the vehicle may go to your accommodation in Marseille to take you to your new hotel in Avignon. The service fee includes the driver who will be fully available to resolve any eventuality that may occur with you or your group of companions.

This type of transfer is usually designed for a maximum of six people, as they are usually carried out in small vans that guarantee the comfort of each of the passengers. In fact, the rate per person is designed for a group with this number of participants.

You should know that this alternative is also one of the best ways to get around to enjoy the best things to do in Marseille during the summer, as trains, buses and other shared trips are in great demand due to the high number of tourists in the region at this time of year.

Useful details

• Price: The approximate fare for a private transfer from Marseille to Avignon is around 150 to 160 euros per person. This means that a transfer for 6 people is around 900 euros.
• Duration: the private transfer between these two cities usually takes about one hour. This is assuming you leave from the city's airport. In the case of a transfer from the city centre it may take an hour and a half due to city traffic.
• Advantages: it is an experience that you can cancel for free if you give advance notice and at the same time it is a more exclusive way of travelling that can satisfy the needs of the most demanding travellers.

Another alternative available to you if you wish to travel from Marseille to Avignon is to join a sightseeing tour. These are usually available for most of the year, as Avignon is a very interesting destination for those staying in and around Marseille.

The disadvantage of this option is that it is a transfer that is designed for people who want to return to Marseille the same day and therefore has a very different cost structure.

However, if you just want to get to know the city without staying overnight, then it is ideal for you. Especially because it offers you the accompaniment of a guide specialised in the history of the city, as well as an excellently planned tour of the main attractions of this historic town, which stands out within the region of Provence for having been the seat of the Catholic papacy for several decades in the 14th century.

This type of transfer is part of one of the best day trips in Provence from Marseille. It is also an activity that usually lasts about 10 hours in total, which means that you can complement it with other activities such as the best gastronomic tours of Marseille, which will allow you to explore the culinary world of this city.

Interesting details

• Price: the usual price per person for a tour from Marseille to Avignon and back is around 100 euros. If the experience also includes meals and special activities, the price is likely to be higher.
• Duration: The transfer as such from the centre of Marseille usually takes an hour and a half at the most, as the tourist bus usually takes the same motorway as a private car or public bus.
• Advantages: this transfer alternative is particularly favourable for those who intend to return to Marseille on the same day of their visit to Avignon and want to be sure that they will have a suitable means of transport for their return.

Unfortunately, it is impossible to fly to Avignon from the city of Marseille, as the two cities share the same airport. In fact, it is located halfway between the two cities in a commune called Marignane.

This does not mean that you cannot use air transport to go from Marseille to Avignon because a helicopter trip can be an interesting alternative if your budget allows it and especially if the number of people accompanying you is sufficiently limited.

You have to remember that most of these trips are reserved for a group of a maximum of four people and it can easily be an experience that exceeds 1000 euros per person, depending on the time of the year and the amount of demand for this tourist service.

So the most advisable thing is that if you have a tight budget you invest that money in other ways of getting around that allow you to see the city up close like the Marseille Hop On Hop Off buses that are considered to make the best tours in Marseille.

That's a good plan because fares don't exceed €30 per person and the remaining money could well be spent on a trip on other public transport alternatives that would get you to your destination much quicker. Especially considering that for such a trip you would have to travel to a heliport which is probably quite far from the centre of Marseille.

Driving a private car from Marseille to Avignon can be one of the best options especially for those who enjoy driving along French roads.

Renting a car to travel from village to village and town to town along the Côte d'Azur is an alternative that many people consider in order to save money on tickets. It is also a way to enjoy the beautiful landscapes that define this Mediterranean region. Alamo Rent a Car, Europcar and Sixt are some of the best car rental alternatives that stand out for their wide offer and competitive rates.

In fact, planning a week to tour Provence as well as the different towns that compose it, including Avignon, Arles and Nimes, is one of the best things to do in and around Marseille in summer.

You can choose to take the A7 motorway or combine the A7 with the A54, which is ideal for a chance to pass through the town of Arles. If you combine the A7 and the D7N you will pass through Aix-en-Provence, another of the region's great treasures.

Either way, this means of transport is quite fast and allows you to make a short stop at the Alpilles Regional Nature Park, a nature reserve set in mountainous terrain halfway between Marseille and the ancient city of Avignon. It is also very close to the airport that serves both cities.

Interesting details

• Price: It all depends on the car hire company you choose as well as the area you hire from within Marseille. However, the trip usually costs around 100 euros in total taking into account that the daily rental of the vehicle can be around 60 euros depending on its characteristics and you have to add the fuel charge.
• Duration: the duration of the trip will always be between 1 hour and 1.5 hours depending on the motorways you choose and the stops you make.
• Advantages: this is the best option if you want to have free mobility in Avignon or throughout the Provence region to explore its attractions on your own terms.

From the Saint-Charles transport station you have the possibility to travel by bus from Marseille to Avignon.

This alternative is considerably slower because there are several stops along the route. Also, the journey time depends significantly on the traffic between Marseille and Avignon.

However, this can be one of the best things to do in Marseille at Christmas time as tourist demand is lower and this means that the bus fares will be unbeatable. It also means that fewer people will be travelling inside the vehicle and this will give you more comfort and privacy on the journey.

There are several companies that can offer trips for the date of your visit, but Ouibus and Flixbus Marseille are the most popular choices as they tend to maintain a more significant frequency of travel even in the low season. This means you can rest assured that when you arrive at Saint-Charles bus station there will be buses running the route that day.

Details of interest

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• Fares: Bus travel is the cheapest alternative and can cost around 10 euros per journey. It is possible for the same journey to go up to 20 or 30 euros in high season.
• Duration: bus journeys between Marseille and Avignon tend to take a little longer because of the stops that are made in the different locations that exist between the two cities. The average time is two hours.
• Advantages: It's a more economical experience, especially for those who are travelling alone and renting a car is too expensive.

Travelling by train from Marseille to Avignon is an option that many consider to be the most convenient of all from an economic and logistical perspective. This has to do with the fact that there are high speed trains that make this journey directly.

It is an entertaining experience simply because train travel is interesting for many people and also because the French train system is of excellent quality and impresses most of its foreign users. In fact, it's one of the best things to do in Marbella with children, as it's the shortest journey of all and at the same time one of the most comfortable for both adults and children.

The Saint Charles train station is a very charming place and best of all, it's right in the centre of Marseille. In the case of Avignon, the TGV train station is a bit far from the city centre, but you could pay for a taxi to your accommodation or to the first stop on your itinerary. Taxis never cost more than 10 euros.

Interesting details

• Prices: Prices are changeable because they depend on the time of year and what train travel is on offer. You may be able to find a ticket for 10 euros, while it is also likely to go up to 40 euros if you buy it at short notice.
• Duration: The journey usually takes around 40 minutes in total, but may take a little longer depending on waiting times and train departure times.
• Advantages: A train journey is the fastest alternative of all and at the same time is a great way to familiarise yourself with this transport system which will help you get around France in record time if you so wish.

There are other means of transport that can get you from Marseille to Avignon in much more time but in a much more enjoyable way depending on your interests. I am talking about bicycles and one of the best bike tours in Marseille are those that have to do with a trip from this city to the surrounding towns.

In this case we would be talking about a trip that usually lasts about four and a half hours in total. Bear in mind that assuming you are leaving from the centre of Marseille, the routes would be quite similar to the motorways recommended for car journeys. However, the big difference is that in this case you will be riding along a cycle path frequented by the cycling enthusiasts of the Provence region.

However, if you are still interested in the idea of touring Marseille and its surroundings by other equally quirky modes of transport then you can take part in some of the best boat tours in Marseille, as many of them will take you to other nearby towns such as Cassis or La Ciotat, or at least give you the opportunity to enjoy the beauty of this corner of the Mediterranean.